The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-09
CUISINES MAN" FOR MAYOR.
Mayor John Henry Brown Talks on
the Subject.

a HERALD representative calleu on
Mayor Brown to get that gentlemai's
views on the subject.
The HERALD man said to the
mayor: "You have doubtless OBJ
served, Mayor Brown, that in some
quarters frequent allusion has been
made to the wisdom Of having bust
ness man for mayor. Have you any
thing to say on that subject"
Mayor Brown: Yes, sir, | might say
much, but few words will do for the
present. apprehend that very few
persons in Dallas, judging by the allu-
sions to which you refer, would deem
it fit and proper for Jay Gould to be
president of the United States; the
most successful Spectator in Texas to
be governor of the State and some To-
cal man of similar fortune to be may
or of the city, and so Oh to the end.
When large sums of public money
are to be expended, there is always
ground for vigilance on the part OF
the people. Examples are too recent
and too appalling to need recapltula-
ton now. Dallas needs good city
government in all its departments, and
especially clear-headed, honest and
practical men for mayor and aldermen.
But how judge of such men except by
experience. Were without reason
able experience in municipal and gen
eral business affairs, ! would shrink
from the responsibilities now attach
ing to the position of mayor Of this
city, with its daily and eyer-increas-
ing strides to commercial and manu-
featuring greatness. Admitting that
nature blessed me with fair share of
common sense, without egotism, my
experience may be very briefly stated.
Let it be understood that Dallas is
municipality, with its own local gov
eminent and local legislature, resting
on the same principles of right as the
State government, and is hot bust
ness house, firm or corporation en-
gagged in trade for profit The prin-
ciplcs OF right and equal justice to all
its people should control its admins
tration. AS an original member of the
government of Indianola in the days
OF her p'osperity-as mayor of Gal
weston for two terms. reelected with
out opposition, covering the most
trying period of her ante-bellum his
tory and the inauguration of her rail-
way connection with the interior of
the State, / certainly had early OPP.
portunity of studying municipal af
fairs. AS at numerous times men,
Der of the legislature from four diff
ferent districts and of two constiiu-
tional conventions, l as certainly have
had ample opportunities to under
stand the rules and principles
OF legislation, and can say
more than any man of
similar service who ever sal in the
councils of Texas, and that is, that in
al! those years / was never absent
from my seat a single day, unless sick
in bed, nor was l ever out Of Austin
single day while the body to which 1
belonged was in session.
So far as business capacity is con-
cerned, | was successful stock raiser,
successful editor and publisher, and
by my own energies acquired hand
some property in lands, live stock and
town property. AS commissioners of
the State | sold 100000 worth of
State lands at cost so small as to
surprise the governor and legislature,
and inside of the appropriation where
a large deficiency was expected. As
late as 1882, under commission of the |
State, superintendent the selection,
location and survey of 1926 leagues
q ,439, 100 acres) of school land without
exhausting the appropriation set apart !!
for that purpose, and received the
compliments of the whole State gov
eminent. In 1873 ! introduced In |
the legislature a bill to establish an |
agricultural bureau for the encourage
ment of farming, fruit growing and |